Windmill.



No. 773,020. "BATBNTBD 00T. g5, 1904.

J. & G.. KUCBRA.

,WINDMILL APPLICATION FILED APR. 5, 1904.

N0 MODEL. 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

' u a 6` y 2./ P7 /f J7 Y n 2.9` C .J

- y J6 w 7E I Y v uvmwfow/ ml/fa,

G. me z' l UNITED STATES Patented October 25, 1904.

PATENT OEEIcE.

WINDMILL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 773,020, dated October25, 1904. i Application filed April 5, 1904. Serial No. 201,728. (Nomodel.)

To all whom, t 71mg/ concern:

Beit known that we, JOHN KUCERA and GEORGE KUCERA, citizens of theUnited States, residing at Western, in the county of Saline land Stateof Nebraska, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements inWindmills, of which the following is a specification.

This invention appertains to windmills, and is designed to improve thegeneral structure of this type of engines, whereby their efficiency isenhanced and the cost of maintenance minimized.

The primary purpose of the invention is to simplify and render morecertain and positive the governing means whereby the engine may beregulated according to 'the load and the strength of the wind, so as toequalize as nearly as practicable the power and running ofthe engine. y

For a full descriptionnof the invention and the merits thereof and alsoto acquire a knowledge of the details of construction of the means foreffecting the result reference is to be had to the followingldescription and drawings hereto attached.

While the essential and characteristic features of the invention aresusceptible of modiiication, still the preferred embodiment of theinvention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which-- Figure1 is a perspective view of the upper portion of a windmill embodying theinvention. Eig. 2 is a vertical central section of the wind-wheel andadjunctive parts. Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view of the means forthrowing the engine into and out of the wind. Eig. 4 is a detail view ofthe swivel in the length of the rods connecting the collar with theoperating-lever.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the followingdescription and indicated in all the views ofthe drawings by the samereference characters. y p

The tower or derrick is indicated at 1 and may be of usual or anyapproved construction. The, vertical shaft is designated at 2. and isprovided with a hub or: casting 3, mounted upon the cap 4 of the toweror derrick in such a manner as to admit of the shaft turning to adaptthe wind-wheel to the currents o f air,

so as toreccive the full benefit thereof.

casting 5 is clipped to the upper portion ofl the shaft 2 and hasoppositely-extended lugs,

4to which braces 6 and 7 are connected. Lonandthe adj unctiveconnections form the frame of the engine. A pillow-block 9 is arrangedat one end of the bars 8 and a corresponding pillow-block 10 is locatedat a point between the extremities of the bars 8. The shaft 11 of thewind-wheel is journaled in the pillowblocks 9 and 10 and is providedatits inner end with a crank-wheel 12, which is connected by pitman 13 tothe vertically-disposed pump-rod 14. The braces 16 are connected attheir lower forward ends to lateral extensions of the pillow-block 9 andat their upper rear ends to the lateral extensions of the casting 5. Thewind-wheel is arranged at one end of the frame and a counterweight islocated at the opposite end, so as to bal-- ance the engine upon thevertical shaft 2 and obviate any lateral stress which would tend toproduce binding and detract from the efliciency of the engine. Thecounterweight 15 is composed of similar parts, which are secured theretoand to the end portions of the bars 8 oppositeto that provided with thewind-wheel. The wind-wheel is composed of a frame and' piv'oted wings.VThe frame com- Vprises a hub 16, radial' arms 17,.lirmly connected attheir inner ends to extensions of the hub, and rods or bars 18,Aconnecting the arms 17 at their outer ends. The arms 17 and-bars 18 maybe connected in any substantial manner, and, as shown, fittings 19 areprovided, said fittings being approximately of T form and each havingthree sockets or ends into which the terminal portions of the parts 17and 18 are entered and secured. The wings 20 are of fan form, and keachis composed of a series of blades, which are outwardly tapered andarranged, so that the wings as a whole present. a uniform series ofelements or blades for the wind to impact against. The wings are mountedso as to turn about the rods or bars 18 to present a greater or lesssurface Ito the action of the IOO wind, according to the load and theforce of the wind. Any means may be employed for pivotally connectingthe wings to the rods or bars 18, which form a support therefor. Themeans now to be described have been devised for controlling the wings toadmit of throwing the same into and out of the wind either automaticallyor at the will of the operator.

A lever 21 is pivotally mounted at a point between its ends and isprovided with a weight 22 adjustable thereon, so as to hold the wingsinto the wind according to any determinate pressure. An operating-cordor like part 23 is connected to the inner end of the lever 421 andextends through the lower portion of the vertical shaft2 withinconvenient reach of the ground, so as to be drawn upon when it isrequired to throw the engine out of action. As shown, a pin or rod 24sconnects the braces 7 at a point between their ends and forms a supportfor the lever 21. A collar 25 is slidably mounted upon an end portion ofthe shaft 11 and is formed with radial lugs 26, which are connected byrods 27 or analogous means tothe respective wings 20. Upon moving thecollar 25 toward the plane of the wind-wheel the wings of the latter arecaused to assume an approximately horizontal position, and upon movingsaid eollar outward to a normal position the wings 2O are made to standabout at aright angle to the current of the wind and to the shaft 11, asindicated most clearly by the full lines in Fig. 2. Rods or bars 28areconnected at one end to the collar 25 and at the opposite end to an arm29, projected from the lever 21, and serve to transmit motion from onepart to the other. The rods 28 arc composed of sections, which areconnected by means of a swivel a of ordinary construction to admit offree rotation of the wheel and operation of the wings 20. The arm 29 iscomposed of companion members secured at one end to the lever 21 uponopposite sides of its fulcrum and converged toward their outer ends, atwhich point said arm ispivotally connected to the rods 28. A standard30, connected to the bars 8, receives the wind-wheel shaft 11 and isprovided with opposite extensions, in which the rods 28 are slidablymounted. Y WV hen the parts of the engine are assembled substantially asshown in Fig. 1, the wings 2O are held in the wind by the weight 22 uponthe outer end of the lever 21. By adjusting the weight 22 upon the lever21 the mill may be regulated to any determinate strength of aireurrent.When drawing upon the connection 23, the lever 21 is operated, andthrough the connections herein specified the wings 2O are turnedl fromthe vertical to the horizontal, so as to present a greater or lesseffective surface for the action of the wind, thereby admitting ofcontrolling the speed of the engine or throwing the latter out of gearentirely when it is desired to have the engine at rest.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is# 1. In awindmill, a frame comprising an approximately horizontal portion,ei'ipositelydisposed braces connected at their outer ends to the endportions of said horizontal portion, a vertically-disposed shaft having`connection with said braces at their point of convergence and with thesaid horizontal portion, a windwheel arranged at one end of the frameand a eounterweight at the opposite end of the frame for balancing theengine about said vertical shaft, substantially as set forth.

2. 1n a windmill, the combination of horizontal bars, a pillow-block atone end and at a point between the extremities of said bars,oppositely-disposed braces, a vertically-arranged shaft, means forconnecting said shaft to the horizontal bars and to the braces at theirpoint of convergence, a shaft iournaled in said pillow-blocks, awind-wheel connected to said shaft, and a counterweight at the end ofthe frame opposite to that provided with the wind-wheel, substantiallyas set forth.

3. Ina windmill, the combination ofa frame comprising horizontal andoppositely-inclined portions, a wind-wheel at one end of the .frame andcomprising pivoted wings, a counterweight at the opposite end of theframe, a weighted lever, a pin connecting the rear complemental bracesand forming a support for said weighted lever, converged rods extendeddownward from said weighted lever and journaled at their upper endsthereto upon opposite sides of the said pin, an operating connectionattached to said weighted lever, a collar slidably mounted in coaxialalinement with the wind-wheel and connected to the wings thereof, androds connecting said collar with the converged rods extended from theweighted lever, substantially as sctforth.

In testimony whereof we aiiix our signatures in presence of twowitnesses.

JOHN KUCERA. It. su] GEORGE KUCERA. lL. si

Witnesses:

Gnonen F. SAwYnn, CARRIE PATTERSON.

IOS

